CHINA, 7TH CENTURY, TANG DYNASTY. On the eve of the Chong Yang Festival, golden flowers fill the Imperial Palace. The EMPEROR (CHOW YUN FAT) returns unexpectedly with his second son, PRINCE JIE (JAY CHOU). His justification is to celebrate with his family. This seems disingenuous given the chilled relations between the Emperor and the ailing EMPRESS (GONG LI). For many years, the Empress and CROWN PRINCE XIANG (LIU YE), her stepson, have had an illicit liaison. Feeling trapped, Prince Xiang dreams of escaping the palace with his secret love XIAO CHEN (LI MAN), the Imperial Doctor’s daughter. Meanwhile, Prince Jie, the faithful son, grows worried over the Empress’s health and her obsession with golden chrysanthemums. Could she be headed down an ominous path? The Emperor harbors equally clandestine actions. The IMPERIAL DOCTOR (NI DAHONG) is the only one privy to his plans. When the Emperor senses a looming threat, he relocates the doctor’s family from the Palace to a remote area. While they are en route, mysterious assassins attack them. Xiao Chen and her mother, JIANG SHI (CHEN JIN) are forced back to the palace. Their return sets off a tumultuous sequence of dark surprises. Amid the glamour and grandeur of the festival, ugly secrets are revealed. As the Imperial Family continues its elaborate charade in a palatial setting, thousands of golden armored warriors charge the palace. Who is behind this brutal rebellion? Where do Prince Jie’s loyalties lie? Between love and desire, is there a final winner? Against a moonlit night, blood spills across the Imperial Palace. |
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